


'Private' (or, The Everyday Life of a Fantasy Protagonist)

by freyjawriter24



Series: Writing prompts and challenges [4]
Category: Good Omens (TV), Good Omens - Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett
Genre: Aziraphale's Bookshop (Good Omens), M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-27
Updated: 2020-06-27
Packaged: 2021-03-04 00:07:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 495
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24944344
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/freyjawriter24/pseuds/freyjawriter24
Summary: There is a magical place, filled with knowledge and wonder, hidden somewhere in London. There is a door there. It's open.***Written for the GO Events server's Name That Author Round 5 prompt "There is a door that should never be open. It's open". The challenge required a fic to be 500 words or fewer.
Relationships: Aziraphale/Crowley (Good Omens)
Series: Writing prompts and challenges [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1805341
Comments: 8
Kudos: 27
Collections: Name That Author Round Five: After Dark Redux





	'Private' (or, The Everyday Life of a Fantasy Protagonist)

The library was amazing, huge and old and dusty and silent, and just as beautiful as all those portal fantasy films had always promised it would be. He was alone too, of course. Not a soul in the building except him.

He stepped forward, exploring deeper into the space crowded with ancient books crammed into endless shelving. Around every corner was something magical and new. Well, old. One of those old-fashioned record players. A computer that looked like it was from the dark ages. A globe still marked with the word ‘USSR’.

In the centre of the library there was a dome, the daylight shining through dimmed into sepia by the layer of grime on the glass, but that only added to the magical aura about the place.

Just past the dome was a cast-iron spiral staircase. _Yes, this was right. This was where he should go._ He mounted the steps without a second thought.

There was another floor of shelving around the circle of the dome, yet more ancient texts and knick-knacks dotted around the place. And a narrow doorway leading to another room of books, yet more in piles on the faded rugs, and –

He froze. There was another door here, marked ‘Private’ in neat gold lettering. This one should not be open. It was.

“Hello?” he said. He always hated it when children in films did that, but, well... he wasn’t like them. Nothing bad would happen to him.

There was a shuffling sound, some distance behind the door. An unnatural sound. Inhuman.

“Hello?” he called again, louder. The dust on a nearby shelf shifted.

There was another shuffle, then a thump. Then a far-off, rather annoyed voice said “ow”.

“Adam? Is that you?”

“Yes, Mr Aziraphale,” he called back, standing patiently by the open door.

Another few shuffles, muffled whispering, and hurried footsteps later, and the pair of them finally appeared. Adam smiled and pretended not to notice the demon’s dishevelled hair, or the way the angel’s bow tie had been loosened and pulled lopsided, or the way both celestials’ cheeks were bright pink.

“Adam! How on Earth did you get in? I’m certain the door was locked –”

“To humansss, angel,” Mr Crowley cut in. The sunglasses turned towards Adam. “What’s up?”

“Nothing. We were in London for the day and I could sense your magic library, so I came to say hi.”

“It’s not a library,” Mr Aziraphale said, looking affronted. “It’s a bookshop!”

“No it isn’t,” Adam said, with all the confidence of a being who knew far more than an eleven-year-old ever should. “You don’t sell any books.”

Mr Crowley’s eyebrows shot up, and he looked pointedly at his boyfriend. Mr Aziraphale looked displeased.

“Well,” he said. “Quite.”

Adam smiled brightly – the kind of smile that tended to disarm grumpy grown-ups. “The others are outside. D’you want to have lunch with us?”

The celestials looked at one another. Then the demon shrugged.

“Sure, why not? Lead the way.”

**Author's Note:**

> **Alternate ending for this that I cut because of word count limitations:**
> 
> The celestials looked at one another for a second, something unspoken passing between them. Then the angel pouted, and immediately the demon gave in.
> 
> “Sure, go ahead. I can wait a couple of hours longer.”
> 
> “Wonderful!” Mr Aziraphale turned back to Adam, absent-mindedly reaching to straighten his bow tie. “We would love to, thank you. Lead the way!”


End file.
